Paris Bans Islamic Street Prayers

La Grande Mosquee de ParisJoi via Flickr
French Muslims who cannot find space to pray in mosques will no longer be allowed to pray in Paris' streets, reports the BBC.

Having become the first EU state to ban the wearing of Islamic veils in public, France has now offered Paris' Muslim population the use of disused fire department barracks as a substitute to the streets of the city's Goutte d'Or.

The ban became active last night following a year of far-right protests that claimed French Muslims were praying in the street for political ends.

Paris authorities have also come to an agreement with local Muslim communities, asking them to not hold prayers in existing mosques for a few weeks to encourage people to use the new available space.